The Importance of Local Traditional Institutions in the Management of Natural Resources in the Highlands of East Africa

Abstract

Traditional local institutions were studied in the highlands of Ethiopia and Tanzania to understand their role in natural resource management. Focus group discussions as well as individual interviews were conducted to identify the existing local institutions and their roles. Historical trend analyses were done to determine how the importance of local institutions has changed over the years. Results show that several local institutions with diverse objectives and varying levels of importance exist in the study sites. The article suggests ways in which local institutions can contribute to effective natural resource management for sustainable social and economic development of highland communities in eastern Africa.

Understanding of Traditional Knowledge and Indigenous Institutions on Sustainable Land Management in Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania

“…Local institutions differ based on their functions and objectives. They encompass many different types of indigenous organizations and functions such as village-level governance, acceptable methods of community resource mobilization, security arrangements, conflict resolution, and asset management and lineage organizations [14]. It is against this background that the World Bank's framework considers indigenous knowledge as the basis for local decision-making in all aspects of life-food production, education, health, natural resource management and relationships [15].…”

“…In fact, even the World Bank's indigenous knowledge framework identifies some of the indigenous practices that are not beneficial to sustainable development (giving examples of slash and burn agriculture to make its point) [2]. Accordingly, it is suggested that despite the strengths, some traditional practices and institutions have weaknesses that may limit their use in management plans that favour sustainability [14]. This calls for the critical examination of the roles, issues and challenges of indigenous knowledge and their institutions in natural resource management governance.…”

“…Some studies focus on specific uses of land such as for agriculture, water and forest [26]- [31], while few have examined the use of indigenous knowledge in natural resource management generally but for limited geographical locations within the region and the neighbouring areas [8]- [14] and [32] [33]. In these studies, indigenous knowledge and their institutions are generally differentiated from one part of the region to another but a clearer difference is observed when the region is divided into two distinct zones: the Moshi zone in the north (which includes the Municipality, Hai, Rombo and Siha districts) and the Pare zone in the south (which includes Mwanga and Same districts).…”

“…Section 3.1 Research and Development (p. 11) The policy recognized the importance of indigenous/traditional knowledge in relation to agricultural research and it states that: Indigenous knowledge shall be integrated into scientific research; Section 3.5 (Agricultural Extension Services, page 14) states that "The transformation of agricultural extension services is important in order to impart the right tools, knowledge and skills as well as ensuring farmers adhere to good agricultural practices", which implicitly addresses good indigenous practices. Section 3.26 Gender states that: 1) The Government shall facilitate equal access to land to both men and women;…”

Traditional Institution for Forest Conservation within a Changing Community: Insight from the Case of Upland South Sumatra

“…The research seeking to understand how the traditional institution of forest conservation can survive or collapse in a development context and changes, through the understanding of the actors themselves, is still limited. Mowo et al (2013) have conducted a research to understand the role of traditional local institutions in natural resource management in the highlands of East Africa, but have not been able to explain how the institutions can work in the past and what strategies to integrate the institutions with the formal system. Osei-Tutu et al (2015) managed research on the interaction of formal and informal institutions in the context of forest management in Ghana.…”